What happened
On 04 August 2014, a DHC-8-402, registered as C-FOEN, was operating as WestJet Encore Ltd. flight WEN3112 at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport in Manitoba. The ground controller provided the crew with instructions to taxi toward Runway 31 for departure, specifically directing them to hold short of Runway 36. The flight crew acknowledged these instructions.
At approximately 0900 Central Daylight Time, the tower controller noticed that the C-FOEN had moved into the protected area of Runway 36 at the point where it intersects with Runway 31. This movement occurred without the necessary clearance from air traffic control.
At the same time, a WestJet Boeing 737 700, operating as flight WJA318, was on short final approach for Runway 36. Due to the presence of the Dash 8 in the runway's protected zone, the tower controller ordered the Boeing 737 to execute a go-around. The Boeing 737 completed the go-around and landed safely later without further complications.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the unauthorized entry into the runway intersection and the subsequent risk of collision between the two aircraft.